Hearing for Size Regulations on L.A. Hillside Properties Set

A hearing on a proposed hillside ordinance will be held by the Los Angeles City Planning Commission at 10 a.m. Thursday, at the Van Nuys Women’s Club, 14836 Sylvan St., Van Nuys.

“The regulation calls for a maximum (building) height of 36 feet for lots that slope less than 66.7%, according to Gary S. Klein, city planning associate who drafted the ordinance.

He said the ordinance would increase front-yard requirements from zero to 10 feet and set minimum side-yard requirements at 5 feet, even on the narrowest of lots.

Owners of new buildings constructed after the effective date of the proposed ordinance, he said, will be required to join an assessment district for public improvements relating primarily to fire safety. That could include an interior sprinkler system.

The regulation additionally states that a hillside building (including driveways, garages and other structures) cannot cover more than about 30% for an up-slope lot and 35% for a down-slope property. “Increased off-street parking also will be a factor for new buildings and major additions,” Klein said.